Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cebu and Carthage

For one person, living is cheaper in Carthage: $693 a month against $918 in Cebu, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Cebu outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

45

Cost of Living Index in Cebu
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Cebu Living Index
34

Cost of Living Index in Carthage
Learn more

Carthage Living Index

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Cebu

🇵🇭 Philippines

$918

/mo nomad

Carthage

🇹🇳 Tunisia

$693

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cebu and in Carthage

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cebu and in Carthage actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $918 in Cebu versus $693 in Carthage.

Cebu $918
Carthage $693

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,409 in Cebu versus $1,100 in Carthage.

Cebu $1,409
Carthage $1,100

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,900 in Cebu versus $1,508 in Carthage.

Cebu $1,900
Carthage $1,508

Living in Cebu is roughly 32% more expensive than in Carthage, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cebu 32% lower, Carthage 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.09 ₱194

$4.09 TND 12.26

-24.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$24.22 ₱1,525

$22.71 TND 68.0

6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.92 ₱247

$5.89 TND 17.65

-33.45%

Cappuccino

$2.51 ₱158

$1.15 TND 3.44

118.26%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 ₱100

$0.73 TND 2.20

117.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.53 ₱33.43

$0.29 TND 0.88

82.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.78 ₱112

$1.70 TND 5.08

4.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 ₱137

$2.05 TND 6.14

5.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.92 ₱121

$0.49 TND 1.46

291.84%

White Bread (500g)

$1.36 ₱85.4

$0.26 TND 0.78

423.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.01 ₱63.5

$1.78 TND 5.33

-43.26%

Eggs

$2.03 ₱128

$1.84 TND 5.50

10.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.86 ₱621

$10.20 TND 30.56

-3.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.39 ₱277

$5.74 TND 17.21

-23.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.60 ₱479

$14.42 TND 43.20

-47.30%

Apples (1kg)

$3.30 ₱208

$1.31 TND 3.92

151.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ₱87.8

$3.65 TND 10.93

-61.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱147

$1.17 TND 3.49

99.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 ₱94.3

$0.83 TND 2.48

80.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.36 ₱149

$0.90 TND 2.70

162.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.90 ₱119

$0.69 TND 2.07

175.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.19 ₱74.9

$0.53 TND 1.60

124.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.63 ₱39.71

$0.34 TND 1.03

85.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.00 ₱189

$3.59 TND 10.75

-16.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.03 ₱379

$6.62 TND 19.82

-8.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$1.23 TND 3.68

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₱110

$1.24 TND 3.72

41.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.25 ₱15.86

$0.43 TND 1.30

-41.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 ₱796

$13.96 TND 41.82

-9.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.77 ₱48.62

$0.31 TND 0.92

148.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$0.34 TND 1.03

-32.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 ₱281

$1.78 TND 5.34

150.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 ₱82.8

$0.88 TND 2.63

48.86%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.2K ₱1.3M

$39.9K TND 119.4K

-46.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$19.1K ₱1.2M

$35.4K TND 106.1K

-45.97%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$120 ₱7,569

$45.22 TND 135

165.88%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$14.00 ₱882

$9.23 TND 27.63

51.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$27.54 ₱1,734

$20.98 TND 62.9

31.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.33 ₱2,035

$32.18 TND 96.4

0.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.65 ₱419

$13.26 TND 39.70

-49.85%

Cinema Ticket

$5.65 ₱356

$5.17 TND 15.49

9.28%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$275 ₱17.3K

$104 TND 311

164.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,918 ₱498.5K

$3,218 TND 9,637

146.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.33 ₱3,106

$43.72 TND 131

12.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.24 ₱1,589

$59.3 TND 178

-57.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.0 ₱4,846

$114 TND 340

-32.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$57.2 ₱3,601

$67.7 TND 203

-15.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$500 ₱31.5K

$211 TND 633

136.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$309 ₱19.4K

$154 TND 463

99.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,078 ₱67.9K

$209 TND 625

416.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 ₱38.7K

$272 TND 815

126.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,886 ₱181.7K

$972 TND 2,911

196.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,917 ₱120.7K

$622 TND 1,862

208.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$346 ₱21.8K

$269 TND 807

28.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.2

10.28

-29.96%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cebu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Carthage: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cebu

$309 33.6%

Carthage

$154 22.3% 50% $154

Groceries & Markets

Cebu

$206 22.4%

Carthage

$194 28% 5.8% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cebu

$162 17.6%

Carthage

$75 10.9% 53.4% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Cebu

$94 10.2%

Carthage

$128 18.5% 36.2% $34

Eating Out

Cebu

$88 9.6%

Carthage

$81 11.7% 8.3% $7.3

Sport & Entertainment

Cebu

$44 4.8%

Carthage

$43 6.1% 2.5% $1.1

Getting Around

Cebu

$16 1.7%

Carthage

$18 2.6% 13.9% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $500 in Cebu and $211 in Carthage. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cebu pays 28% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $24.00 in Cebu vs $23.00 in Carthage for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $194 per month, with Carthage cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Cebu

🇹🇳 Carthage

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

13:22 1:22 PM

7 h behind Cebu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

964,169

21,276

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

Tunisian Dinar TND د.ت

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 TND = 0.334 USD

1 TND = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

TND, USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

Tunisian Dinar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 2.99 TND (1 TND = 0.334 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 TND (1 TND = 0.297 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cebu Carthage 11,340 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Cebu
Carthage

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cebu vs Carthage: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cebu and Carthage differ by about 32% in total monthly costs ($918 vs $693 including rent). Carthage is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 28% higher in Cebu, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $500 in Cebu versus $211 in Carthage. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Cebu. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Carthage – a meal for two runs $23.00 versus $24.00 in Cebu. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Carthage gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Cebu and Carthage are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Carthage gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Cebu. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.